


day three

by julek



Series: Winterfest 2020 [3]
Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, M/M, Reading by the fire, Winter At Kaer Morhen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27879941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/julek/pseuds/julek
Summary: Jaskier finds a book in Vesemir's library, one the wolves know very well.
Relationships: Aiden/Lambert (The Witcher), Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: Winterfest 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2041318
Comments: 4
Kudos: 182





	day three

Vesemir’s library is imposing, to say the least. Its built-in shelves cover every wall, filled to the brim with manuscripts, books, handwritten contracts, long-forgotten letters, and an extensive amount of bestiaries. The first time Jaskier walks in, he takes a moment to drink it in, and when he announces that it’s simply the best room he’s ever been in, his tone is nothing but sincere.

Every morning before supper, Jaskier wanders around in the moonlit room, looking for whichever book will keep him company for the night. He’s already picked quite a few poetry books, probably older than Oxenfurt itself, and has been devouring the Witcher journals Geralt had fetched for him with great enthusiasm. 

His fingers are warm against the leatherbound spines, some so worn and faded, no name can be discerned on them. He doesn’t choose them by name, though — he knows he’s found the right one as soon as he lays his hand on it. His wandering hands are splaying over a selection of broad tomes when he finds it. 

He’d missed it the last times he’d been there. The book is barely bigger than his hand, its red cover —once glossy and pristine— opaque now, bathed in a fine layer of dust. There’s no name on the cover, unsurprisingly, but Jaskier knows this one’s different from the rest. He’s about to open it when he hears Eskel calling him out to dinner. He tucks the book in his pocket and heads downstairs.

After a generous helping of roasted venison and some mugs of ale, the witchers move to the kitchen, where the fire’s rumbling to life in the hearth.

“Won’t be gracing us with your humble ballads tonight, bard?” Lambert says with a smirk, laying out his fur blanket on the floor, encouraging the others to do the same.

“Careful, Lambert, that almost sounded like a compliment.”

Aiden snorts from his spot, his head laying on Lambert’s stomach, his feet dangerously close to the fire. His recklessness was what drew Jaskier to him immediately — he was finally not the only one.

“No,” Jaskier started as he crawled over the rugs and into Geralt’s outstretched arm. “No, I’m reading tonight, actually.”

He beckons Eskel with one hand, patting the space beside him. The Witcher smiles and goes easily, wrapping his cloak over their shoulders. Jaskier’s heart jumps in his chest as he looks around, seeing nothing but content, warm witchers. They don’t like it when Jaskier expresses his gratitude, always reminding him that Kaer Morhen is just an old fortress, nothing too exciting — he’s grateful nonetheless. He’s honored to be welcomed into their home, to be allowed to share winter with them and see them with their walls toppled down, to be invited to stay with them after dinner and sing and drink and laugh until his stomach hurts. 

Geralt hums with curiosity and he takes the book out of his pocket, the red now glowing against the firelight.

“I found this little one in the library today,” he says, and when he looks around, the witchers’ faces have morphed into something he can’t quite place. They grow quiet, and for a second, Jaskier’s worried he’s made a mistake.

“What is it?” Aiden asks, lifting his head. Lambert gently runs his fingers through his hair, a small smile on his lips.

Eskel clears his throat. “Before the trials, there were a lot of children running around the keep. Ourselves,” he gestures at Geralt and himself, “included. Training was hard and there was a lot to do around, so we barely got time to rest. Once a week, though, Vesemir would sit us all down in front of the fire—”

“If we’d been good,” Geralt adds with a chuckle.

“—yeah,” Eskel smiles. “If we’d been good, he’d sit us all down, and would have one of us fetch a book from the library. Then he’d read to us.”

Lambert nods. “I was little, you know, not old and decrepit like these two,” he says, teasing, and shifts in his place, wrapping his arms around Aiden’s shoulders. “But I remember, too. Sometimes we’d fall asleep like that, in a pile on the floor, and he’d let us sleep in.”

Jaskier looks at them, a bit teary-eyed, and he can feel the change in the air, the way only good memories get to. He looks up at Geralt and sees a fond smile curling on his lips.

“That one,” Geralt whispers, nodding at the book. “Was my favorite.”

Eskel groans. “He’d pick it every damn time. It was insufferable,” he says, but his voice is heavy with emotion.

Jaskier settles against Geralt’s chest, snuggling up in his blanket, nosing at his throat. He’s known Geralt’s brothers for mere weeks, but the way they speak to him, as if Kaer Morhen belongs to him just as it belongs to them makes him swell with pride. He knows there are some things they just can’t speak about, and no matter how curious he is, he’d never force them to reach into the back of their minds, to pull at the bad moments again — he’s glad to be there, though, to see the way the wolves’ eyes soften and their voices turn to whispers, affection bursting through them. 

They’re silent for a while, basking in the warmth the fire and the memories envelop them in, until Lambert speaks up.

“Would you read it for us, bard?” 

Jaskier smiles softly, then carefully props the book against his bent knees. The wolves look expectant and so, so vulnerable, his heart aches for them. He licks his lips, letting the silence drag on a while longer, then turns the first page and says,

“I’d love to.”

**Author's Note:**

> follow this series on [tumblr](http://julek.tumblr.com/tagged/winter%20prompts)!


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